ARTS Wednesday, November 27, 1985 Th e Michigan Daily Page 7 'Cosi" By Hobey Echlin IN these morally trying times when just about everything gives you some God-awful disease, terrorists threaten your every vacation, and life becomes one big lecture, it's comfor- ting, (damn near inspirational), that there are things you can see, hear, laugh at, laugh with, and just totally enjoy. And so I made my first trip to the opera to see Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte at the Mendellsohn Theater, presen- ted by the School of Music Opera Theater. I was just floored by it. The plot is refreshingly mindless. Like Shakespeare, there's no preaching, just plenty of fun. Two soldiers, Ferrando (Paul Wiltsie) and Guglielmo (John Muriello), love two giddy young sisters, Doarabella (Elizabeth Elvidge) and Fiordiligi (Gabrielyn Watson). So great are their bonds of love, (so the soldiers think) that they accept a bet from the jovial but crafty Don perfec Alfonso (Isaiah Freeman) in which they agree to leave their loves and return, disguised, to test their mates' fidelities. The grasp of any modern notion of reality is close to zero in this opera, and that's the best part, leaving it to revolve around total spectacle and performance, from the precise direction right down to the glittering finale. The lovers played their roles to per- fection, conquering the tricky multifariousness of being singer and actor convincingly and enter- tainingly. Gabrielyn Watson's per- formance was especially strong, as she maneuvered through some solo feats and with flute accompaniments with ease and precision. Fontaine Follansbee as Despina, Don Alfonso's panderer of infidelity, was as funny as she was corrupt, creating a person at the same time as despisable as she is lauded as a whimsical corruptress of virtue. Musically, the production soared under the conduction of Gustav Meier. Stage action and orchestra became one with perfect timing and score execution. Harpsichordist Bradley- Vincent Brookshire deserves special accolades for his crisp, rolling per- formance (much of it solo) throughout the production. Technically, Cosi: benefitted from excellent lighting and sets, including a triptych curtain that served as both wall for the indoor scenes as well as a sky for the outdoor scenes, and brilliant Mediterranean blue and pur- ple backlighting that emphasized the dream like world that Mozart meant to depict. The opera's final scene provided the best of the whole production. Whim- sicality reigns and good humored- revenge is cause for plenty of laughs, as the sisters' infidelity is hilariously chastised by the now-undisguised soldiers. As the orchestra bursts out in its final moments, the lovers stand humorously switched, preparing for matrimony as conductor Meier waved his arms at the reversed partners to get them back to their correct loves. Finally the sisters hop on the ship their lovers arrived on in disguise, to escape to more folly. . I I The University's School of Music and Opera gave Ann Arbor an outstanding production of Mozart's 'Cosi fan Tutte' this past weekend. Jay Lesenger directed the production. Novel laces suspense & humor -By Jim A ley 'M SURE ALL of us at some time 4r another, when walking alone late at night, have felt the urge to walk a little faster than normal. Trees ,are watching you and a quick glance -over your shoulder is only a mild reassurance that the footsteps you heard were only scraping leaves. Francisco Sanctis not only has to walk a little faster than usual, but must also suspect every noise to be the foot- "steps of government agents out to kill hin. He isn't just paranoid. He's walking in dangerous territory, in Buenos Aires in 1977: a time of political repression and terror. As the author explicitly states at the begin- ning of his story, The Long Night of Francisco Sanctis is a "psychological" novel, and Sanctis, a rather humble, middle aged, Larry "Bud" Mellmanish sort of clerk, plays the dual role of protagonist and antagonist. The story opens by telling us that we're about to embark on a study of 'TIe next ten hours of Sanctis' life. We will see him struggling with himself, but before telling us just what he's going to struggle with, the narrator begins to unravel his own character, and the fun begins. The narrator, an anonymous and somewhat less than omnipotent figure, tells us his story and Sanctis' struggle, "To claim that this inner struggle...arose out of his past into his present would amount to searching for a metaphysical dimen- *sion to a story that may not have one." The narrator democratically g'ves a disclaimer and sets a precedent for the novel. From now on we will see a hesitant, "bleeding- heart" narrator, concerned not only with telling a good story, but also with being fair with Sanctis and with trying to convince us he's not directing but merely recounting Sanctis' dilemma. So we find out that Francisco is a pretty dull guy, living a pretty dull life. Not unsatisfying, just dull. He Ipunge Lizards - Live 79-81 r(Roir Cassettes) The folks at Reachout Inter- national, better known as ROIR, have Sen dilligently releasing products for .a'few years now, establishing them- selves as some high minded, albeit ;soft spoken peddlers of pure goodness. In their noble efforts, the ROIR staff has done its best to keep hipsters everywhere knee-deep in live out-take cassettes by the finest names in groundbreakin', seminal style rock and roll (Television, MC5, Suicide, New York Dolls,...); bands whose ;vinyl outputs were slim but whose im- pact was huge. While the fidelity hasn't been the greatest, the packaging, and more importantly the tuneage, has been of the choicest quality. Which brings us to this typically in- nocent lookin' Lounge Lizards casset- te-which was released by ROIR a few ionths back. The Lizards first hit the public several years ago via their debut LP on EG records. Led by saxaphonist/composer John Lurie, delights in listening to his classical music collection and thinks that by removing himself from society and listening to his records, he is not only getting back at society, "giving it the finger" as he puts it, but is achieving some obscure sort of equilibrium, in- vulnerable to the outside world. He used to be a rabble-rouser in college, and even edited an obscure radical political magazine. But now he feels out of touch, especially with youth. Suddenly, Madam X calls Sanctis at work. She turns out to be Elena Vac- caro, a woman he hasn't seen since his college days. She wants to see him, he reluctantly agrees, and his life is never the same. Elena asks Sanctis to help her save two young men allegedly engaged in "questionable" activities from being killed by the Argentine Air Force In- telligence agency. She gives him two addresses, and bids him to help if he can. He is to go to their hideouts and warn them, at great risk of course. Sanctis accepts, Elena disappears, and he embarks on his inner struggle. The poor man refuses at first to believe any of this is happening, and from our vantage point inside his head, neither can we. The last time he saw Elena, about twenty years back, she was a chubby, silly girl with a crush on him. Now she's a beautiful, elegant, and very mysterious woman who disturbs his cocoon, and Sanctis resents this "invasion." Yet the sim- ple fact that he is resentful indicates his instability: if he were truly stable he would have turned down Elena's offer. He wanders about dumbly for a while, trying to figure out what to do, and finally goes home. We see Sanctis gradually losing his sense, or more accurately, illusion of balance and security, a horrifying event for him and for us. His initial resentment toward the world in general and Elena in particular slowly gives way to a vague but nagging desire to redeem himself by helping these two young men. Fran- cisco the Wimp wants to become Francisco the Conquistador. His actions are hesitant and often comical as he flits from one grand plan of action to another, but Costan- tini opens Francisco's mind so much that we cannot help but be engulfed. Everything Francisco feels we feel. Desolation, isolation, amusement, anger, everything. A feeling of hopelessness snowballs as Sanctis stumbles through the eerie morning hours of a frightened world. Costan- tini is so adept at conveying Fran- cisco's feelings that when our hero says he's bored and restless, so are we, yet the author's magnetism is too great to set the book down. Perhaps the author's greatest trick is his ability to lace humor into his rather grim novel. The narrator's discourse is consistently lighthearted, and the humor is very subtle, yet it leaps out and clutches on occasion, as he reminds us, with an almost paranoid tone, that he is not respon- sible for Sanctis' fate: "It's true that the more or less psychological nature of this book was mentioned at the out- set. But for God's sake, there's a limit to things." As in John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman, the narrator takes on a character of his own, while retaining the status of narrator/director. In this case, he's a nervous, conscientious sort who is afraid of probing Sanctis' mind too deeply, as if he were in danger of being caught by government thugs and tortured for subversion. As far as the narrator is concerned, he's doing his job. He's just telling us a story that happens to take place in Argentina in 1977. Costantini has written a compelling and funny novel, and I read it in one sitting, turning the pages as quickly and nervously as Sanctis' fearfull stroll. He offers the reader a challenge to penetrate the humor and enter the mind of Sanctis. He taun- tingly leads him around Sanctis' mind and around Buenos Aires, until he decides to end his story, not with a bang, but with a stinging slap. Philadelphia By Neil Galan ter That famous Philadelphia Sound! People are always talking about it. It refers to the mellow and smooth silken musical textures of the Philadelphia Orchestra. It is a sound that has been heard in Ann Arbor for years when the Philadelphia visited annually for The May Festival. What could be more pleasant than, to hear five in- dividual members which make up that sound? Nothing really. The New Philadelphia String Quartet gave Ann Arbor that opportunity last Sunday at Rackham Auditorium when they made their debut here. To be sure, their texture was always on a pleasant musical plane. Their opening Quartet in F Major for Oboe and Strings of Mozart was artfully carved out. They were assisted by Oboeist Richard Woodhams who is the principal oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra. It is easy to see why he is the principal. His oboe playing was some of the finest oboe work I have ever heard. :His tone quality was round, pure and shimmering. Even in the most athletic passagework, Woodhams maintained a solid control over his instrument, shaping every phrase to its fullest capacity. The Quartet also performed the String Quartet No. 1 of the American composer Frank Proto who wrote it in 1977 when he was commissioned by the Blair School of Music in Nashville. The piece is a three movement work (movements played without pauses), which utilizes elements of both the classical and the jazz idioms intermittently, bits of sound inA Big Band, contemporary music and rock also make appearances throughout the score. The result is a humorous potpourri of musical effects. The cellist is frequently asked to use a pencil instead of a bow on the strings, and to tap the soundboard as well. This performance went over confidently and assuredly. All the effects were handled well. Cellist Glora Johns showed great ability with her instrument. when she demonstrated all of the demanding tricks Proto asks for from. the cello. The group also made fine "ensemble" when clapping and humming together in various spots as the score calls demands. The final note on this concert must be given to the major work on the program. Johannes Brahms' Quin- tet in F Minor for Piano and Strings Op. 34 was featured, and the quartet was joined by pianist Yoheved Kaplinsky. All that really can be said for this performance of the Quintet is that it was for the most part, extremely solid. The players seemed to handle all the difficulties of the score with great ease, surmoun- ting most of the problems. There were a few minor "not-together" spots, but it was quite minor at that. More important though was the question of soul, tem- perament and overall mood in the piece. Things just didn't seem to click as well here. There was not enough of that meaty Brahmsian atmosphere that is essential to any Brahms piece but especially in a major work such as the Quintet. Kaplinsky's playing was technically very meticulous and well mannered, but of- ten I didn't get enough overall lateral or directional movement in her musical phrasing. On the whole, though, Sunday afternoon was a suc- cessful musical exhibition, and many of those lush Philadelphian aspects were abundant. I BLOOM COUNTY , Watch for it in 01 be mrbign Bt-I 9 1gg Adult Eve. Ticket. 1 or 2 tickets $100 OFF-good thru 111{28 OFF (except Tues, Seniors & Late Shows) DAILY 5:00P.M. I oWS !!!"!!!"!!"!"!!!!NN!!!!e 10 WHEN MY FATHER . WAS AWAY AFTER HOURS . ON BUSINESS (R) SCaHl for showtImes"M ' 44tm.i '' i ( eeagogeeg(44, Isggesegsse ~COOKIES I Don't be a turkeyl Take a dozen of Mrs. Peabody's i cookies to Mom's for Thanksgiving $1 off dozen Holiday Orders Coupon must be presented 761-CHIP Offer valid through 11-28-85 " V with each member going his own separate and productive way; but thanks to those servants of cool at ROIR, all of the mighty legions of Lounge Lizards fans have another for- ty or so minutes of material to groove to, and it's some mighty fine material at that. Culled from a variety of live per- formances, this tape captures the band at their demented best. It opens with "I Can't Hardly Walk," which sounds like the John Coltrane quartet playing a TV-show theme of the future. The compelling modal riff slides along fiercely and sweetly, with nice Elvin Jones-style drum bursts from Fier and a down and dirty organ solo from Even Lurie. Like the opening track, the next two numbers were recorded at what must have been a monstrous performance at the 1981 Berlin Jazz Festival. "Dut- ch Schultz (The Dancing Gangster)" and "Thrown or was Pushed" both rock brutally with particular ex- cellence in the rhythym section. Solid modal riffs are pulled underground by the Lizards and operated on with demonic precision. On "Thrown...," Side Two opens with the choppy but straightforward "Stompin' at the Corona" which is sort of reminiscent of Charles Mingus. It then moves into some earlier, stranger stuff like '"Take 'em to the Cleaners" and "Iguana," which feature Arto Lin- dsay's noise guitar and some downright crazy chord and note changes. The bluesy "Ballad" and the rhumba-ish "Coney Island" showcase the healthy sense of irreverence which characterizes much of the Lizard's material. Like the liner notes say, the Lounge Lizards music is very visual and cinematic, conjuring up images fromL a variety of times and places. Sort of like the 1940's gangster shoots up in the late, free-jazz fifties and cruises down main street in the 21st century. Or else, it's the ghost of Eric Dolphy and 1977-era Alan Vega holding up a bowling alley for drink money. But whatever it is, the Lizards offer a fun, twisted and seedy (not to mention just plain good) way to get there and this here tape catches them at their best. -R. Michaels aiMe4e Daily goes Free Drop! -Fall '85 ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER sa ---- - w --- - - w - - w Sayo M" DISCOUNT MUFFLERS AMERICAN AND FOREIGN CAR SPECIALIST FROM AS * FITSMANY . >Installed by A.. SMALL CARS LWAT nr1s93UPARTICIPATIN G I I